10 Tiny Changes for Big Weight Loss

Turbo Jam™ trainer Chalene Johnson recommends taking baby steps to eat more healthfully. If you “slip,” get immediately back on track. Never let a vacation or a special holiday be an excuse to overdo it the entire time. Go ahead, enjoy the occasional indulgence, but keep it reasonable. Here are 10 tiny changes you can make for big weight loss.

1. Wait 2 minutes. Cravings will disappear after two minutes if you walk away and turn your attention elsewhere.
2. W.I.W.M. When you really crave something unhealthy, answer this question: “What do I Want More,” that piece of chocolate cake, or a body I feel proud of? And on rare occasions, it’s okay to pick the chocolate cake!
3. No one’s perfect. Don’t allow one bad choice to result in bingeing the rest of the day, or falling back into old habits.
4. Focus. Make eating purposeful, not something mindless to do while watching TV, driving, or sitting in front of the computer. Whenever you put food in your mouth, try to engage all of the senses in the pleasure of nourishing your body.
5. Don’t skip breakfast. Start eating a filling breakfast, but one that’s lower in fat. It will help you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
6. Veggies. The majority of your plate should have veggies and/or fruit on it at both lunch and dinner.
7. See what you eat. Eat your food off of a plate instead of straight out of a jar, bag, or box.
8. Don’t buy it. Stop buying the food you snack on all day. Just eliminate the temptation.
9. Eat more fruit. A person who gets enough fruit in their diet doesn’t have a raging sweet tooth.
10. Watch what you drink. Cut back on or cut out high-calorie drinks like soda, sweet tea, lemonade, and, especially, alcohol. People have lost weight by making just this one change.

Interval Train to get RESULTS

Are you tired of chugging away on the treadmill or elliptical for 45 minutes to an hour?  Are you seeing the changes you want?   Reading your magazine while riding your stationary bike or climbing on the Stairmaster is probably not going to get you the fat loss results you want.  The smartest, most efficient way to work out  is to do interval training. Simply defined, interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity, which is called “active recovery.”  Interval training can be used with any activity. You’ve probably read in numerous magazines that on your daily walk(?-good idea!) you can play games with yourself by picking out houses or trees to walk “briskly” between.  In other words, pick landmarks to do interval training between.  These should be short bursts of activity, walking or jogging, that are strenuous enough that you are out of breath, about 1-4 minutes.  Then go back to active recovery pace until you bring your heart rate down again.  For swimming, do pyramids where each lap gets faster, then drop down to active recovery pace. On the treadmill or stairmaster, bump up the level each minute over a 3-4 minute period, then drop down to active recovery for a minute or two.

My absolute favorite Plan for interval training is from Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength
Body for Life has a website with a complicated looking chart for interval training but it is very simple in reality.  Also, the idea behind this interval training plan is that you will only have to spend 20 minutes a day on your favorite piece of equipment at the gym.  Try it.  You’ll get that endorphin high AND you’ll save yourself 20 minutes.  If you’re not convinced that you can afford to shave 20-30 minutes off your cardio workout, then just implement this plan into your workout.  Congrats to you if you can keep this up for 60 minutes! You rock and you’re going to look and feel fabulous!

The 20 Minute Plan as I “see” it and use it:

First 2 minutes Very Easy , Level 5 you’re warming up

Minute 2  Bump up one notch of effort, Level 6

Minute 3  Bump up another notch of effort, Level 7

Minute 4 Bump it up again, Level 8

Minute 5 Bump it up AGAIN, Level 9 – you should be really working at this point but NOT to a 10

Minute 6 Drop back to Level 6 to recover for a minute

Minute 7:  Level 7

Minute 8:  Level 8

Minute 9:  Level 9

Minute 10:  Level 6

Minute 11:  Level 7

Minute 12:  Level 8

Minute 13:  Level 9

Minute 14:  Level 6

Minute 15:  Level 7

Minute 16:  Level 8

Minute 17:  Level 9

Minute 19:  Level 10!

Minute 20:  Cool down at level 5

If you try it and you love it let me know!